Vernon Hargreaves an X-factor for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
By Cory Kinnan
According to Pro Football Focus, the success of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 could depend on the play of cornerback Vernon Hargreaves.
Earlier this offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprisingly pick up Vernon Hargreaves’ fifth-year option, potentially showing faith in their former first round back in 2016. Since that selection, however, Hargreaves has not lived up to the hype that he demanded coming out of the University of Florida, including missing all of last season after getting hurt early in week one.
Hargreaves has gotten a bode of confidence from new head coach Bruce Arians and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and thus far has been starting as an outside cornerback through OTAs and mini-camp. He will get back into a physical style of play, hard-nosed man coverage that he played in college, and he could finally live up to his expectations in 2019.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) named Hargreaves as the Bucs’ X-factor for the 2019 season, and if the defense hopes to see improvements, then he must also improve mightily. After a disappointing start to his career, the PFF analyst had this to say about Hargreaves:
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"“… Hargreaves has allowed the fourth-most yards in outside coverage (1,287). He also allowed the highest completion percentage on throws into his primary coverage… His play will go a long way in determining the fate of the Bucs’ defense” (via PFF Analysis Team)."
In Hargreaves’ defense as well, he was playing in a scheme under former defensive coordinator Mike Smith that did not suit his talents and abilities. Under Bowles, we may be seeing the best version of Hargreaves that has ever been seen; he will need to perform well in 2019 as well as the Bucs drafted two cornerbacks on day-two of the 2019 NFL Draft earlier this Spring.
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As it stands today, Hargreaves and Carlton Davis have been getting the starting reps outside the numbers at cornerback, but rookies Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean are knocking on the door. With 2019 being a make-or-break year for Hargreaves, PFF seems to think he may direct the narrative of the entire Buccaneers’ season.